One Missed Call
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor the One Missed Call plot but this story was weaved through my incredibly sick mind…apparently. Anyway-I hope that you enjoy this story. It has been quite a while since I have written anything dealing with Horror.
Thank you.
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It all started with muffled voices coming from all corners of the great hall. Silent whispering comments and exclamations of something seemingly unimportant which didn't brighten the dark cloud filled rainy days or the pitter patter of heavy droplets hitting the roof. It was a typical Monday morning and for one girl a sort of lonely lunch time as she alone sat at the end of one of the wooden tables with a book of psychology in hand tapping with her fingernails almost impatiently against it's heavy spine as though to help absorb the information.
"Did you hear about it?"
"What, are you saying it's true?"
"Apparently Granger got it and…well anyway, not to quash with the details but it was rather…messy."
"Ooh? How so Lavender? I want to know."
"Well, alright. She was on her way home trying to catch the last train when her mobile rang. Anyway, there was a troupe of young high school girls said that she was yanked from her feet and flung in front of the train and well…oh Parvati stop with that face! You wanted all the details."
"Oh but that's so horrible! She was a student here too you know? It could have been any one of us."
"Not unless she had your mobile number."
The gossipers passed by still deep within their conversation but the damage had been done-either way there was no way that Pansy would finish the rest of her meal with the images of Granger's body literally braking into pieces in a mess of disembodied mush none the less able to actually retain what she was trying to learn.
"Yummy."
Sighing, Pansy closed the book in her hands and shoved it into her bag wondering what she cold do to possibly quell the nausea she now felt. Either way you're going to feel like shit. Might as well get home and vomit there and maybe take a nap?
With a plan in mind Pansy headed for the two large oak doors her steps muffled by soft shoes and the clipping heels that followed close behind her-she recognized the rather loud clipping as Padma Patil, who always walked loudly in her heeled shoes even on carpet, followed.
"I'm sure that you're sick of your sister's insipid gossip," Pansy began as she slowed her pace. "though I assume it's more to do with Lavender Brown's harping.."
"Of course." Padma said with an almost cheeky smile. "So you've heard about Hermione Granger then?"
"Who hasn't?"
"Draco Malfoy?"
Pansy inwardly sneered but retained an air of complete ignorance of what Padma meant because surely Padma wasn't going to directly bring that up without any sign of Pansy allowing it. Instead Pansy shrugged her shoulders, her eyes looking anywhere but at Padma's face going so far as to stare far too long at the high ceiling of the university.
She settled with finally tugging at her forest green loose cargo pants and then her t-shirt-trying to be less obvious with her slight discomfort. "Well there is a reason for that, no? Better to not mention anything like the current goings on if you catch my drift."
"He's stuck in wonderful unemotional bliss isn't he? Though I imagine it is better that way considering everything that has happened."
"You're just trying to be nice and not insinuate anything along the lines of clinically insane."
"I guess I agree-it would be too soon to say anything about his condition directly so I won't but, what am I supposed to think? The man comes running into the school auditorium screaming about seeing the ghost of his deceased cousin. Pans it is a wonder he was ever able to graduate at all with all the nonsense he caused." She crossed her arms across her blue sweater clad chest. "Honestly it's idiotic to believe him and it is completely overshadowing the very real death of a girl."
Pansy rolled her eyes having heard it all before. It was true. It was a wonder that Draco was able to go on in his schooling completely unhindered by his very well known breakdown two years before. It was rather hard to believe, though Pansy knew well enough about Draco's ailing mind set and his past to leave that business alone in his company. And though she really liked Padma Patile she refused to be apart of Draco mockery.
"Well, I'm off to get some well needed rest." Pansy said with a soft smile not quite reaching her blue eyes. "I'll see you in class tomorrow then?"
"No I'm going to the funeral. You should come to-you knew her right?"
"Not well enough."
With a small wave Padma walked in the complete opposite direction, presumably to scold her gossiping sister and the gossip queen herself leaving Pansy to stare off at her for just a moment before making her own way home.
You didn't know Granger all that well so it would be inappropriate to go to that funeral. Never mind that you shared the same classes since grade school. You were not close. Stop feeling so horribly guilty about what you cannot control.
But she did feel badly and maybe that was why she was making her way back home to that studio apartment where Chappu, her cat, waited to be alone.
So while she was lying on the soft pink sheets of her comforter, a glass of wine in one hand and Chappu lying on her belly, when Diggory called she was only too happy to agree to go out with him and his friends. Our friends. She thought reminding herself again.
-
"Pans your stir fry is going to get cold. Hurry up an eat it." Cedric's laughing voice sounded just a bit far away though Pansy imagined it was because she was so distracted and her knees actually hurt from her ridiculous sitting position on the floor.
The cushion obviously wasn't anything else but a tasteful little piece of furniture-it didn't do well for her to sit on. "Why is it that whenever you call me to come out and eat with the lot of you, that we always come to Izakaya Japanese Pub? You know how much I hate sitting cross-legged."
"Oh but you like the stir fry." Cho Chang said from Cedric's side chewing thoughtfully on a bit of the sushi that had been between Cedric's chopsticks. "You always order it."
"That, Chang, is because it's the only thing that I'm positively sure is not dog." Pansy mumbled.
"What if it's cat?"
"Eat me, Diggory."
They laughed her small group of friends that she'd only made that year. Though Pansy had gone to school with Cedric and had even been in class with Cho her last year of high school it wasn't until university that they had actually had a conversation.
Despite the fact that Cho Chang had been the president of the so called nerd club 'Ravenclaw' and Cedric having been the big time track star of the track team they'd gotten along very well. High school had been well finished years before and Pansy wasn't one to hold onto the notions of old that she'd firmly believed back when she was a teenager.
Pansy smiled as she observed her friends, Cedric Diggory with a lazy arm around the shoulders of Cho Chang who smiled brightly at something obviously stupid that Stan Shunpike had said as he regaled with a near drunken slur about the good old days that were still happening and of things that were not so pleasant.
"No really. I aint lying about nothing. Her arm came clean off and still held fast her mobile phone. I seen it m'self, mate," He said drunkenly in Cedric's face grasping the front of Cedric's jumper with its Hufflepuff Mascot Badger shimmering in the low lamp light. "Her 'and was dialing someone's number it was. It's the curse blimey it's the curse!"
"Curse?" Cho asked meekly curiously tapping the table with a perfectly bright blue and bronze manicured nail. "What curse?"
"Oh you aint heard of it then? Well lessee if I remember this right." Cedric rolled his eyes and tapped Pansy's shoulder with his index finger twice his gray eyes shinning like the bedazzled badger face on his chest.
"You'll want to hear this bit o' nonsense it's got to do with that writer friend of yours."
"Draco?"
"That would be the one."
"Why don't we talk of something else? Something that doesn't have anything to do with death and Hermione Granger's mangled body." Myrtle suddenly said from beside Stan as she cleaned her glasses, her mousy brown hair not in its notable pigtails this night. "Honestly it's revolting. All this death is making me sick and I'd rather have a decent meal thank you very much."
"Oh Myrtle you are such a bore."
"And you're not, Cho?" Myrtle stuck out her tongue. "Anyway-what about that exam? It's coming up; I bet you're all a bit anxious."
"Just because you and Stan are college graduates doesn't mean you can taunt us about it." Cedric piped in obviously annoyed.
"What the 'ell you bloody twats going to interrupt my story or are you going to let me finish it then?" Stan almost shouted now with a cigarette hanging loosely on his lips. "Actually this all reminds me o' this old flat mate of mine who just got his own place. Apparently the previous tenant committed suicide. He once told me that in the bathroom, while washing his hair he felt someone right behind him. A cold presence like a ghost or some other thing like that ya know?
"When he tried to turn back, there on his shoulder, was this abnormally thin woman's 'and. Pale and cold and hell it must o' been awful."
Cho sat back a little, with an amazed look, her lips making a perfect 'O' on her pretty face while Cedric looked shocked and even Myrtle was stunned to silence. It was oddly quiet then, Pansy's hearing was only focused on them and it seemed she could hear nothing else but Stan Shunpike's voice and the beating of her own heart.
She imagined the pale hand from the story resting on her own shoulder the tiny almost child like white fingers thrumming against it in a silent tone, but, when she turned her head it was gone and in the place behind her Ginny Weasley stood wearing a solemn expression.
"Weasley, where have you been? You realize that tomorrow is our exam, don't you?" Pansy chided but stopped. The expression on the red headed girl's face was enough to make her halt her words. "Weasley?"
"My friend from high school, the one I was renting the room to, is dead."
It seemed like the ghostly hand was really there and its eerie owner sat closely by leaning its head against Pansy's cold back making her shiver but when turned her head to see it, it was gone.
R&R no flames